Return From the Veil
by DragonSinger06
Summary: Warning! Fifth Book Spoilers! The character who died shocks Harry by appearing on Privet Drive.


Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything except the plot.  It all belongs to J.K. Rowling

            Harry Potter sat alone in his dark room at number four, Privet Drive.  Although it was the middle of summer, the curtains were drawn as if to prevent the bright sun from lightening his mood.  Since he left Hogwarts, Harry had sunk into depression.  He wasn't eating much.  He only left his room in the dark of night when his hunger became unbearable.  His summer homework lay untouched in his closed trunk.  Letters from Ron and Hermione, asking how he was, were scattered over the top.  He hadn't written to them.  They wouldn't understand.  He only wrote the required notes to the Order every three days to say he was okay.  Ordinarily, he would have written Sirius, but Sirius was… gone.

            _It's all my fault.  I killed him. Dumbledore was just trying to make me feel better.  I'm the one who was stupid enough to believe the dreams, to forget that Sirius had given me a way to communicate with him.  If only I'd remembered the gift in time he might still be alive._

            The Dursleys knew something must be bothering Harry, but they didn't ask, so he didn't tell.  They were just glad he was staying out of their hair.  He didn't want to tell them anyway.  They still thought Sirius was a dangerous murderer and wouldn't have any sympathy at all.

            Downstairs the doorbell rang. _It's probably just another Jehovah's Witness_, Harry thought.  They'd been out in force recently.  However, a few seconds later he heard his Aunt Petunia's scream and a thump as something heavy hit the ground.

            Harry grabbed his wand and thundered down the stairs, ready to defend himself.  In the doorway lay Aunt Petunia, who had obviously fainted.  Above her stood none other than his godfather, Sirius Black.

            Harry dropped his wand.  "You're dead," he said, shocked.

            "Don't sound so disappointed."

            "But…but…Bellatrix…you fell through the veil…I thought you were…"

            "Dead? So did Remus, at first.  But this is a rather long story, and I'd prefer not to tell it here where the whole world can hear," he said as he shut the door, then began walking up to Harry's bedroom.

            Harry stared dumbly after him for a minute before hurrying up the stairs.  When he entered his room, Sirius was opening the curtains.

            "This place is like a tomb.  Were you trying to make it depressing?"

            "I was… er… a little upset about your… um… death," Harry said awkwardly.

            Sirius grinned at him.  "If this is what you're like when you're 'a little upset,'" he said, gesturing around the gloomy room, "I'd hate to see you when you're depressed."  He casually leafed through the letters on top of Harry's trunk.  "Your friends are worried about you.  Why didn't you write to them?"

            'They wouldn't understa- Stop stalling!" Harry yelled as his patience snapped.  "Are you going to tell me what happened or not?!"

            Sirius laughed, but Harry saw a flicker of some strange emotion in his eyes.  "You're so much like James.  Anyway, as you know, Bellatrix missed me with a Stun Spell, then a bright flash of light hit me and I fell through the veil, presumably dead.  What everyone missed was that it was just another Stun Spell that she hit me with."  He laughed, "I'm almost insulted that everyone thought she killed me.  My cousin was so drained from being in Azkaban, she couldn't have killed me if she tried."

            "But if you weren't dead, why did you stay stuck behind the veil?"

            "Good question, why don't you ask the Unspeakables next time you see them? It's the Department of Mysteries, Harry, that means we're not supposed to understand.  All I know is that as long as I was Stunned, I was stuck."

            "Then how did you escape? Stunners don't just wear off."

            "Well, about a week ago Remus was thinking about the battle and realized that the flash of light he saw before I fell was a red Stunner, not a green Avada Kadavra.  That night he snuck into the Department of Mysteries and performed the reversal of the Stun Spell in front of the veil.  I got up and walked out with him."

            "If you've been up for a week, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER?!!?"

            "I knew you wouldn't believe me if I just wrote I letter, so I decided to just show up for your birthday," Sirius explained.

            "It's my birthday?  I'd forgotten."

            "Unless you've changed it from last year.  July 31st, right?"

            Harry smiled, "Right."

            "Happy Birthday, Harry," Sirius said as he handed him a small package.

            "What is it?"

            "Open it and find out"

            Harry ripped off the paper and opened the box to reveal a pair of slightly worn dragon skin flying gloves.  The letters "JP" were embroidered in red thread on the cuff of the right glove.

            "These were your father's gloves when he was your age.  I heard you were outgrowing your old ones, so I thought you might like them."

            "Thank you," Harry said, his voice shaking, "but you know that Umbridge banned me from playing Quidditch ever again.  I don't even have my broom."

            "Wrong again.  Accio broom!" Harry's Firebolt came zooming into the room.  "Dumbledore sent it to Remus with a note saying that your ban has been lifted.  Ron told you about it in this letter-" he held one up, "-three days ago.  This has probably been a rather confusing afternoon for you.  What do you say we go out for ice cream?"

            "ARE YOU CRAZY?!?! Someone's bound to recognize you, your face was all over the Muggle news two years ago!"

            "I thought Hermione was the caution freak of your little trio," Sirius said, raising an eyebrow.

            "She is… I just don't want to lose you again."

            "Okay, but I doubt any Muggles will spot me if we go to the Burrow for Molly's homemade ice cream." He grinned at Harry, "You're so scrawny that the two of us should fit on your broom easily."

            "Do the Weasleys know you're alive?" Harry asked.

            "Not yet."

            "This should be interesting…"

            Sirius shrunk Harry's trunk and Hedwig's empty cage to fit on the broom.  Then the two wizards flew out the window, covered by an Invisibility Cloak.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

A/N: This is my first attempt at fanfiction, so please review! I've got some ideas for more, but I probably won't bother to post them if I don't get any reviews. Thanx!


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